Rivers State
Rivers is a state of Nigeria, with its capital Port Harcourt, which is with 1,148,753 inhabitants (2005) and largest city.
Geography
The state is located in the south of the country, bordered to the north by the Imo State, on the northwest by the states of Anambra and Delta, in the north- east by the Abia State, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Bayelsa State and on the east by the state of Akwa Ibom. The state occupies a large part of the eastern Niger Delta. The Upper Orashi Forest Reserve was included in the List of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 2008.
History
The state was formed on 27 May 1967. First governor was between May 28 1967 and July 1975 Alfred Papapeye Dieterich - Spiff. Current governor since May 29, 2007 Celestine Omehia.
On October 1, 1996, a part of the state was split off and has since formed the Bayelsa State.
List of Governors and Administrators
- Alfred Dieterich - Spiff (Governor 1968-1975 )
- Zamani Lekwot (Governor 1975-1978 )
- Saida Suleiman (Governor 1978-1979 )
- Melford Okilo (Governor 1979-1983 )
- B.L. Letimah (Governor 1984-1985)
- Fidelis Oyakhilome (Governor 1985-1987)
- Anthony S. UKPO (Governor 1987-1988)
- Ernest Adeleye (Governor 1988-1990)
- Godwin Abbe (Governor 1990-1992)
- Rufus Ada - George (Governor 1992-1993)
- Dauda Komo ( administrator 1993-1996)
- Musa Shehu ( administrator 1996-1998)
- Sam Ewang ( administrator 1998-1999)
- Peter Odili (Governor 1999-2007 )
Management
The state is divided into 23 Local Government Areas. These are:
- Abua - Odual
- Ahoada - East
- Ahoada - West
- Akuku Toru
- Andoni
- Asari - Toru
- Bonny
- Degema
- Eleme
- Emuoha
- Etche
- Gokana
- Ikwerre
- Khana
- Obio / Akpor
- Ogba / Egbema / Ndoni
- Ogu - Bolo
- Okrika
- Omumma
- Opobo / Nkoro
- Oyigbo
- Port Harcourt
- Tai
Economy
Main source of income of the state 's oil and gas production. About 40 percent of Nigeria's crude oil production accounted for by the state. Rivers is one of the industrialized states of the country. There is an oil refinery and petrochemical plants, the glass industry, metal processing, as well as a number of breweries.